The invention relates to a tooth-cleaning device with a handle part provided with drive means, said handle part being connectable with an attachment provided with a cleaning tool, with the cleaning tool being capable of being given a rotary motion by the drive means. In addition, the invention relates to an attachment for a tooth-cleaning device, said tooth-cleaning device having a handle part provided with drive means, said handle being connectable with an attachment provided with a cleaning tool, with the cleaning tool being given a rotary motion by the drive means.
A tooth-cleaning device of this kind and an attachment of this kind for a tooth-cleaning device are known from international patent application WO 96/32903, which is incorporated into the content of the disclosure of the present patent application by express reference.
In that application, a tooth-cleaning device is described in which an attachment can be mounted on a handle part. An elongate, thin, and flexible cleaning tool is displaceably mounted in the attachment, said tool being suitable for cleaning the teeth, especially for cleaning the spaces between the teeth. A switch is provided on the handle part for switching the tooth-cleaning device on and off. When a user moves the switch in the direction of the attachment, the cleaning tool is caused to rotate or oscillate alternately around a lengthwise axis. In addition, the displacement of the switch causes the cleaning tool to be pushed out of the attachment. In this way, the user can clean in particular the spaces between the teeth with the aid of the driven cleaning tool. When the switch is returned to the initial position, the cleaning tool is pushed back into the attachment and the drive of the cleaning tool is switched off.
With the aid of the elongate, thin, and flexible cleaning tool it is possible to clean smaller spaces between the teeth. However, if the space between two teeth is larger, the abovementioned elongate, thin, and flexible cleaning tool is no longer suited for effective and proper interdental cleaning.